Road Safety Improvements -Predicting Benefits
Abstract
Paramics is a new microsimulation traffic modelling package from the UK which is gaining popularity in Australia. Amongst its many capabilities it allows the user to simulate traffic incidents and see how drivers behave in response. Paramics can be used to model a road accident and assess the delays and re-routeing of traffic caused.
We have used Paramics to model a range of typical incidents, and calculate the resulting traffic effects. The findings of these analyses are used to demonstrate that road accidents cause delays to traffic that can be valued and included in cost-benefit analyses. This can more than double the economic impact of an accident calculated using traditional means, which will for many situations increase the safety benefit-cost ratio and give greater priority to investment in road safety measures.
Authors
William McDougall, Gareth Millar
Sinclair Knight Merz